NFL 2024-2025 Your team hoping for a Swift return to dominance

[Kit deSummersville]

Well free agency is almost here and with it another season of NFL madness. We'll have good teams, bad teams, a few good teams we swore were going to be bad, a few bad teams we swore that were going to be good and Andy Reid showing his talents as a straight man in State Farm commercials.

[monbvol]

The turn over in Buffalo is quite interesting.

[Triptych]

Welp, here's hoping the Bears dont mess things up like they always do. The team has got the #1 pick and a second pick in the top ten, but I have a feeling they will find a way to fail. 

[JadeHellbringer]

Don't mind me. I'm just going to sit here in the corner drinking heavily and wondering what the absolute ****** is going on in the management offices at Dove Valley over the last decade.

That George Paton is still employed is fascinating.

[Kit deSummersville]

That George Paton is still employed is fascinating.

I mean, he's a veritable Ozzie Newsome compared to Matt Millen and look how long Matt stuck around to destroy the Lions.

[Charlie 6]

Washington, please bring the Football Team back...not the actual team just the vibe and need to say FOOTBALL TEAM if they win.

[rebs]

I mean, he's a veritable Ozzie Newsome compared to Matt Millen and look how long Matt stuck around to destroy the Lions.

We're still digging out of the hole.  Thankfully, we have a good GM now, as well as a gifted if somewhat foolhardy coach.

But damn it all if it wasn't an exciting postseason! 

[S2pidiT]

We're still digging out of the hole.  Thankfully, we have a good GM now, as well as a gifted if somewhat foolhardy coach.

But damn it all if it wasn't an exciting postseason!

And with both the offensive and defensive coordinators staying at least one more season, it feels like they're all in on trying to make it to the Super Bowl. I'm not 100% sold on the defensive side yet; we'll need to see how the coaching and personnel changes go.

Hopefully the run to the NFC Championship gives the team momentum coming into the season. I hate to say I'm hopeful (at this point, people saying "this is the year for the Lions" feels like "this is The Year of Linux on Desktop"), but this is the best I've felt about the Lions in a long time.

[JadeHellbringer]

Denver WR Courtland Sutton posted a gif on his Twitter page of the last scene from 'Fresh Prince' of Will Smith looking around sadly in the empty living room.

I get what he means, from a personal standpoing- you form those friendship bonds with teammates only to watch the offense get gutted and scattered to the winds (Russ to Pittsburgh, Jeudy to Cleveland, etc.), but from a team standpoint... Court, buddy, you can't have looked around the past few years and felt like this was going well. That's the business- play well or go away. Those guys didn't play well. You did. Let's build an offense now that works around your skills.

(Side note, dodged a bullet and didn't end up with Jameis Winston as our QB- went to Cleveland to back up another filth human being there instead.)

[Sartris]

Fun fact: Sam Darnold will make ten times more than Russell Wilson next season

[JadeHellbringer]

Fun fact: Sam Darnold will make ten times more than Russell Wilson next season

Remember that Russ is working for the Steelers for league minimum... because the Broncos are paying him $38M on top of it. (Side note, guess who visits Denver this fall?)

Unrelated: Hey Ravens fans, remember when your top RB week to week kept having to be Lamar? Your ship has come in.

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

As a WSU alum, I think Minshew starts at least 6 games for the Raiders this year.

[Kit deSummersville]

That's not the Swift I was meaning, Bears.   

 

[Triptych]

Justin Fields gets traded and Bears fans go nuts, except for me. I'm glad that era is finally over. Team's got the #1 and the #9 pick, so time to get it on...

[Scotty]

I'm sure the Bears will draft a good QB in the first round this time

[Sartris]

Caleb Williams feels like a meet the new boss same as the old boss scenario

[Triptych]

Call me crazy, but I actually think the Bears have a good QB already in Tyson Bagent. 

[DOC_Agren]

Tagging in to see what fun this season will bring, I mean can things be as interesting as last year again?

[Sartris]

Tyson Bagent

harlon hill trophy winner mentioned!

[JadeHellbringer]

Caleb Williams feels like a meet the new boss same as the old boss scenario

Between all the stuff about wanting partial ownership of the team that drafts him, the threats to the Bears a while back about not drafting him, the refusal to take part in any of the combine tests, USC's bowl game, etc... honestly, I hope he ends up being a good QB, because right now I see his lips move but hear Johnny Manziel's voice.

[Kit deSummersville]

Caleb Williams feels like a meet the new boss same as the old boss scenario

Well, he's going to get more toys than Fields had. At least Williams will have enough to evaluate him.

[Deathknight69]

Ok Guys, Rate or give opinion on your team's draft. I'll say that whoever is running the WFT front office maybe did some good draft day trading? Only time will tell.

[Triptych]

I guess Id rate the Bears draft a B at this stage since it was obvious Caleb Williams was gonna go and the team just emphasized a huge haul on offense- overall theres still plenty of holes though- especially on defense, though I'm somewhat satisfied.

But then again you never know how these picks pan out until years later, so this is just a general feeling.

[Sartris]

lol falcons

[monbvol]

The only way that trade/draft combo makes any sense is if there is some provision in Cousin's contract that we don't know about where he takes a massive pay cut if he doesn't play the full two years.  But I feel like that is something that would have gotten leaked to the media by now.

[DEZOAT]

  Well the NFL Draft 2024 is over DETROIT BLEW OUT OF THE WATER!!!!! They put on great show and from what I hear they broke a lot of records. I will say this it was huge DRAFT party down in Motown that for sure. I'am happy what the Lions did. I see everyone is real surprise that the Falcons pick QB . I can see why like I text my coworker at the draft downtown yesterday. The Lions did same thing last year it insurance just in case your QB go down. Now the Draft is over let see what crazy crap go on now.

[monbvol]

Even as an insurance policy it does not make sense.  Penix has the kind of experience he should be starting now.  Not when Cousins gets hurt or in two to four years.  If Cousins were cheaper or Penix younger/less experienced it'd make sense.

But I digress.

Seattle's draft.

It was reasonably solid.  I don't see anything to be disappointed over but I'm not super excited by anyone either.

[DEZOAT]

Even as an insurance policy it does not make sense.  Penix has the kind of experience he should be starting now.  Not when Cousins gets hurt or in two to four years.  If Cousins were cheaper or Penix younger/less experienced it'd make sense.

But I digress.

Seattle's draft.

It was reasonably solid.  I don't see anything to be disappointed over but I'm not super excited by anyone either.

True sir but Rodger with the Jets how did that turn out. Look at the Packer over the years getting QB and sitting them for two to three years before playing them. But then again some of coaches don't what the heck they doing.

[Sartris]

I simply wouldn't sign one of the oldest QBs in the league coming off a major leg injury for $100m guaranteed 

[Decoy]

I wonder how much cost savings Denver gets if they convince Zach Wilson to take #3?

[Scotty]

The Chiefs somehow ended up with the guy with the fastest combine 40 yd dash of all time.  I don't know how any AFC GM let's that happen let alone 15 of them but I'm sure as hell not complaining.

[ANS Kamas P81]

What's one more glorious offensive option in the Chiefs' playbook anyway?  It's just going to make playing against them that much more difficult.

[Sartris]

The Chiefs somehow ended up with the guy with the fastest combine 40 yd dash of all time.  I don't know how any AFC GM let's that happen let alone 15 of them but I'm sure as hell not complaining.

underrated laugh out loud moment of the draft

[Kit deSummersville]

The Chiefs somehow ended up with the guy with the fastest combine 40 yd dash of all time.  I don't know how any AFC GM let's that happen let alone 15 of them but I'm sure as hell not complaining.

There was a meme going around listing the 40 yard dash numbers of the Chief's top receivers...and Rashee Rice 119 mph.

I thought the Cowboys did well with the picks they had but still need some more help at running back...Zeke will be helpful on short yardage but not so much between the 20s aside from pass blocking.

[rebs]

Somebody said there's a enefhell draft going on somewhere in southeast Michigan here.  The taco bell lines are ferocious.

[JadeHellbringer]

Denver... ok, so, here's the thing. They're getting blasted, but what was the option for them? As options go, they did pretty well.

They were at #12, but with the trades of prior years they didn't have a great deal to throw in to move up to get one of the top-tier spots for someone like Maye. They had to essentially stay put and hope someone like Nix or Penix fell to them... and then watched the Falcons punch themselves in the groin with the bizarre Penix pick.

So, there's only one remaining major QB on the board that one could turn into a starter in the next year or two, and that's Nix. Is he the best choice in the draft? Well... no. I'm not sold on Caleb Williams being the future for the Bears- his attitude seems to overshadow the talent, I'm really worried he's our next Ryan Leaf/Johnny Manziel guy, gobs of talent and a head case enough to work himself out of the job anyway. But beyond that, I think Maye was the best choice out there overall. Denver had no path to get him, they were going to end up with Penix or Nix, and they got the latter. Is that bad?

Nix is an old rookie- that's negative in that he's that much further than others into his prime already before he takes a snap. He's also been a college QB for five years between Auburn and Oregon, and he's performed very well- he learns the playbook better than many, and seems to be pretty hard to rattle in the pocket. That all fits what Payton likes to run- he's not Drew Brees, but he's closer to that mold in those ways than other rookies might have been (or Zach Wilson, obviously). Bringing in Nix's favorite reciever at Oregon will hopefully help him adjust, giving him his familiar security-blanket on one side of the field and the incomparable Courtland Sutton on the far side. That's solid.

This isn't going to be a good team this year. Period. I'm still leaning towards 5-12 being a good season for them. But the next few years, with Nix at the helm? I have hope, something I haven't had at QB since Manning left. So while I'm under no impression the Broncos are getting a top-tier QB here, they got as good as they could have- and kept Nix from going to Vegas, just as importantly. I'm pretty happy overall.

[Kit deSummersville]

Denver... ok, so, here's the thing. They're getting blasted, but what was the option for them?

NOT TRADE FOR A QB NAMED WILSON! Anything but that.

[JadeHellbringer]

NOT TRADE FOR A QB NAMED WILSON! Anything but that.

Well... yeah, I was keeping focused on the draft itself. But... yeah, this was an odd move. I kind of get the coach-messianic complex of 'I, and I alone, can fix this screwup player', and sometimes it actually works- Belechick had a remarkable habit of turning players with attitude problems into stars, or in the case of Randy Moss, BACK into stars. (We'll give him a mulligan on Aaron Hernandez). It CAN happen. More often, it ends up blowing up in the face of the coach.

I have no idea if Zach Wilson can flourish at the pro level at this point. He clearly never was going to in New York- they made the move last offseason to get  his replacement, and when that went down the drain on opening night, he got his second chance. It, ah... didn't go great, spoiler alert. But there were moments, big plays hidden among the rubble, that made you think 'ohhhh, THAT'S why he was picked so high.', and that's- I have to presume- what Payton is looking for, how to get more of that.

He's never going to win the starting job- he's competing for the backup job with Jaret Stidham, and it's an uphill battle for him. Nix is starting, barring injury. But if Wilson is the backup, and ready to spell the team in the event of Nix being unavailable, then... okay. Like I said, this is a 5-12 team at best already, whereas the Jets went into last year looking at making a playoff run. So it's not like he's going to torpedo his team this time the way he did last year- there's no damage to really be done, we just need someone who can take over a little here and there on the way to another loss. If he can do that, and not throw four picks a game... they didn't give up much for him, and maye he can revive himself a little to be flipped somewhere else for a return.

Low-risk, low-asset, modest upside. My biggest worry was that he was 'the plan', and Denver was going to try to revive him instead of picking a QB- with that danger passed, I'm okay with Wilson as the backup moving forward, if he ends up being such.

[Kit deSummersville]

Wait until Payton trades for Wade Wilson next year....

[Scotty]

Zach Wilson briefly looked like the second coming of John Elway for exactly one quarter against the Chiefs and I did not like it.

[JadeHellbringer]

Zach Wilson briefly looked like the second coming of John Elway for exactly one quarter against the Chiefs and I did not like it.

Exactly. There's just enough of that in his resume for us to look at him and think 'ohhhhhh, that's the #2 pick a few years ago in action' rather than 'that's the guy who keeps ruining Sundays for Jets fans and making headlines with other players' moms for all the wrong reasons'. (I still really hope that wasn't actually true, but there's a whole lot of smoke for there not to be a fire there...)

If the Broncos can find a way to get more of the former version than the latter, great- and if not, he's out the door for little lost. I'm honestly not all that upset about Wilson, as I said, now that we know he's not the #1 QB plan this season. To put it another way, the leaky, always-broken Corvette in the driveway is a lot better-looking as a weekend project car that may or may not end up running someday, now that I know there's a dependable car in the garage to act as the day-to-day driver.

[rebs]

Lions make a big signing according to Adam Schefter…

At $212 million over the next four seasons, Goff is now the highest paid Lion ever.

[S2pidiT]

I'm fine with it. Is Goff the best QB in the league? No, but I think he fits well in the Lions' current scheme.

My high hope is that we can develop a QB behind Goff who can follow up well.

[rebs]

I’m not complaining either.  There is no clear best QB in the league right now.  And that actually helps him stand amid the better QB’s currently playing.